In a Ba Sing Se Alley
by BeccabooO1O
Summary: It wasn't her fault. Katara was walking down the busy street when it had started to rain. More like pouring so hard that she could see five feet in front of her – with her waterbending. The teashop was the closest thing with a door so she opened it and walked inside the warm and dry building.
1. The Blue Spirit

Why in Agni's name was he helping her, the Avatar's waterbending peasant? He tells himself that it isn't because her eyes seem to plead with him when she asks who he is and why he was there. It's not because her lips form every word perfectly. And it's definitely not because of the fact that he can feel her every curve and movement with her body pressed against his from their current hiding place.

No. He's doing this to get the Avatar and nothing more. Although that third reason was getting harder to ignore by the second

Her body was between him and the stone wall of the alley. Her small and delicate hands - how can a peasant's hands be so soft - were clutching at the fabric of his black shirt and her blue eyes filled with fear.

The angry voices were getting closer and the shadows of men stretching out in the moonlit street. He moved her farther into the shadows of the dark alley. he opened her mouth to speak, but he covered it with his hand before she could make a sound. She looked towards the street, her hands still in his shirt. Her mouth was hot on his already warm palm.

A silhouette entered the alley way, looking for the two teenagers. He pressed her closer to the wall and shielded her body from the man's searching gaze.

He focused on the girl in front of him. He eyes were wide with fear and trained on his face - er mask. Those deep eyes were looking at his mask. If she knew who he really was, she would probably run to the men who were chasing her.

Retreating footsteps signaled to the man's departure. The two stood there for a moment. In complete silence. His hand over her mouth and hers still in his shirt.

He let go of her mouth but stayed put, his body brushing hers. Without warning, her hands reached for his mask and pulled it up halfway, exposing his mouth. He closed his eyes as the cool night air touched his chin.

The next things started to blur together. Her lips on his, then her lips vanishing as soon as they appeared. Him giving her a proper kiss for some reason that's been long forgotten. A kiss fueled by adrenaline and something else that he didn't dare to identify. Her hands moved to the hair under his mask. One of his hands was in her hair, undoing her long braid; the other was braced against the wall, literally keeping himself from either lifting her up or crushing her.

His sudden need for air forced him to end their heated kiss. He pulled away from her. He pulled his mask back in place over his now swollen lips and backed away, studying her. She seemed as breathless as she felt, complete with a matching set of bruised lips. The girl looked beautiful with her eyes bright like that in the dark shadows.

It suddenly became too much for him. He had to escape before he did something else that he might later regret. She closed her eyes and he was the opportunity to leave. When she reopened her eyes, he was already gone. he watched her walk out of the alley and down the street to her house.

That nest morning, Zuko was surprised to see none other that the water tribe girl enter through the doors of the Jasmine Dragon - alone.

Remember to Smile :)

~Becca


	2. Zuko

_The next morning, Zuko was surprised to see none other than that Water Tribe girl enter through the doors of the Jasmine Dragon._

It wasn't her fault. Katara was walking down the busy street when it had started to rain. More like pouring so hard that she could see five feet in front of her – with her waterbending. The teashop was the closest thing with a door so she opened it and walked inside the warm and dry building.

Katara took the closest seat in the nearly packed shop. She looked at the daily specials and wondered what she could do to wait out the insufferable rain.

What she didn't expect to hear an all too familiar voice bringing her from her reverie. Katara gasped upon hearing his raspy voice another time. Rage and panic filled her as questions swirled in her mind. Why was he here in Ba Sing Se, and why? Was it for Aang? _If he even tries to touch Aang_, Katara _reasoned, he'll have another coming to him._

"What in Agni's name are you doing here?" He asked her defensively. She finally looked up at him. His scar game him a dangerous effect – like a tiger-puma right before it pounces on its prey.

"I could ask you the same thing." She gritted out through clenched teeth.

"You need to leave." He said dismissively, completely ignoring her thinly veiled insult. He grabbed her arm and tried to extract her from her seat.

"You can't throw me out into the rain!" Katara exclaimed. It was still pouring out. So much that she could barely see across the street. She still felt tired from trying to keep herself dry.

"Fine. But you can only stay if you order something. Boss's rules, not mine." Zuko relented. Katara gave him a skeptical look. Did he really just give in to her? And without a real fight anyways. "What? You obviously look tired, waterbender."

"Oh. Well then I guess I'll have a cup of your jasmine tea and a rice cake." Katara said tersely, still finding it odd that Zuko didn't put up much of a fight. He nodded and left, leaving her to think about what had just conspired between the two.

Zuko gave her the tea and cake and then escaped to the back, probably avoiding her. _Fine_, Katara thought, _the less I have to see him – the better._

She stayed there for a while, viewing the rain outside and thinking about little things, all the while sipping her tea and nibbling at her rice cake. The tea was fantastic, probably the best she's ever had – and she's had a lot of tea on her travels with the Avatar, mind you.

All too soon Katara finished her food and the firebender came back. He took her things away without a words an left. He came back and pulled her out of her seat. Katara was too tired to struggle against him. She still hadn't fully recovered from her waterbending earlier.

Zuko dragged her Katara to the back. "Uncle can't see you leaving at my hand." He explaned gruffly as he pulled her through the throng of people waiting to be seated. The two made it through the crowd of people. He led her to the back door and out into the alleyway.

As soon as she stepped out onto the wet ground, Katara froze in her place. Not only was she shocked by the sudden change in temperature, but also by the sensation of history repeating itself.

Katara wondered if he had fallen so far from his high perch that he felt the need to rob her. "What do you think you're doing?" Katara exclaimed. She tried to wrench her hand away from Zuko, but his grip was too strong. "I swear to La that if you think you can just take me away and mug me in an alley, you've thought wrong –" She was cut short when his mouth fell onto hers. Katara was too shocked to resist. He body took over before her hazed mind could catch up. The only thing that she could think of – as her eyes closed and her hands grabbed hold of his short black hair- was that Zuko's lips felt familiar too her. But she could figure out why.

He let go of her before she could do anything else. When she opened her eyes, he was gone. Katara walked out of the alley and back into the street. She was too far into her mind to remember that the rain was still pouring. One thing kept running through her mind: that kiss was so familiar that it almost hurt.

That's part two for you guys. Hope you like it and don't forget to review

Remember to Smile :)

~Becca


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